I live here. I walk here. Most days begin and end inside this city. Early on I realised that if I cannot make a strong photograph in streets I know well, there is little chance I will do it elsewhere. Knowing a place improves how you see it. You begin to notice small changes in light, routine, and mood. Faces become familiar. Corners tell you when to wait and when to move.

There are also practical reasons. I have a day job. My parents are aged and I want to be around for them. That made it simple. Photography for me had to be local and had to be Lahore focused.

Lahore gives a lot back. It has history. It has old bazaars and quiet lanes. It has colour, sound, and a pace that shifts from street to street. It is also changing. Flyovers, repairs, demolitions, new fronts over old brick. Some of this needs to be documented before it slips away.

Parts of the city are being cared for. The Walled City of Lahore Authority has done good work in places. The area around Masjid Wazir Khan shows what careful restoration can do for a neighbourhood. The Picture Wall at Lahore Fort is another example that invites you to slow down and look.

So I keep it close. I walk the same roads again and again. I try to make honest pictures of a city that is both worn and alive. If I do this well, the photographs will say where I am from and what I notice when I pay attention.